Progressive Party of Canada

The Progressive Party of Canada (PPC) was a progressive and social democratic political party in Canada that was active from 1920 to 1930. The party was founded by former Unionist Agriculture Minister Thomas Crerar in reaction to both the Liberal Party and Conservative Party's abandonment of free trade after World War I, and it represented Canada's farmers. In 1921, the party won 58 of the 235 seats in Parliament, counting on widespread support in western Canada. Crerar attempted to turn the Progressives into a standard party with parliamentary whips and a national organization, but these efforts were resisted, and Crerar resigned as leader in 1922. The Progressives proved unsuccessful in Parliament and lost much of their moderate support in eastern Canada, and Robert Forke, the new party leader, abandoned campaigning east of Manitoba. In 1925, the Progressive Party lost almost all of its Ontario members, and Forke resigned a year later. Forke and most of the Manitoba Progressives ran as members of a "Liberal-Progressive" ticket, and Forke entered Mackenzie King's government as Minister of Immigration and Colonization. The United Farmers of Alberta MPs for the party dropped the "Progressive" label, and the Progressive Party collapsed in 1930. It was succeeded by the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation.